Backline Hire in France

The Newloc network is the most significant structural feature of the French backline market. With branches in Paris, Bordeaux (Le Haillan), Nantes (Vertou), Strasbourg (Mundolsheim), and Toulouse (Dremil Lafage), Newloc provides coverage across the four principal touring regions of France: the Ile-de-France Paris basin, the Atlantic southwest, the Atlantic northwest, the Alsace corridor into Germany, and the Occitanie south. Productions routing a multi-city French leg can in many cases work from a single supplier relationship across multiple cities rather than managing separate local suppliers in each market.

For productions planning French legs, the Newloc branch geography maps closely to the standard routing logic for arena-scale touring in France. Paris is the anchor date; Bordeaux and Toulouse cover the southwest; Nantes covers Brittany and the Loire; Strasbourg is the entry point for productions coming from Germany or Switzerland. Contact Newloc Paris directly when planning a national French tour, as they can coordinate cross-branch inventory and logistics.

Paris operates at a scale that separates it from all other French cities. Accor Arena at 20,300 capacity is the primary arena for touring acts of the first tier. La Defense Arena at 40,000 capacity, located in the business district west of the city, hosts the largest shows. Stade de France at 80,000 serves stadium-scale productions. Below arena level, the Olympia at 2,000 is one of the most historically significant mid-capacity venues in Europe, and Zenith Paris at around 6,000 covers the upper mid-market. The Bataclan, Grand Rex, and La Cigale are established in the 1,200 to 2,800 range and regularly feature on international touring routes.

Paris-based backline suppliers in addition to Newloc include BBS, Planet Live, Where The Action Is, Easybackline in nearby Ivry sur Seine, Hocco MVB/Curassoa in Vitry sur Seine, and Trianon Hall in Alfortville. The density of suppliers in and around the Paris conurbation reflects the volume of production activity in the region.

Lyon at around 500,000 city population is the second city of the French touring circuit and is served by Backline & Pianos, a free-tier listed Lyon-based supplier. Lyon's Halle Tony Garnier at 17,000 and the Groupama Stadium serve the arena and stadium markets; the Transbordeur at 2,000 is established on the club circuit. Lyon is also geographically central for productions routing between Paris and the south, and between France and northern Italy or Switzerland.

Bordeaux's Le Haillan base for Newloc Bordeaux places the network close to the city for southwest French routing. Marseille, France's second city by population, does not have a listed supplier in the current directory; productions with Marseille dates should contact Newloc or other French suppliers to confirm regional delivery capability. The southeast, including Nice and the Cote d'Azur, is covered by Backloc S.A.S in Levens, near Nice, and Guitar Brothers in Vedene near Avignon serve the Provence corridor. Cat's Backline in La Bassee covers the northern France market near Lille, approximately 30km from the Belgian border, and is well positioned for productions routing across northern France and into Belgium.

France hosts over 1,800 music festivals annually, the highest density in Europe. Vieilles Charrues in Brittany in July draws around 280,000 attendees and is consistently among the largest rock festivals in Europe. Les Vieilles Charrues, Hellfest in Clisson (60,000 daily), Eurockennes de Belfort, Main Square Festival in Arras, Rock en Seine in Paris, and dozens of regional festivals create a summer production calendar that runs from late June through August. Festival season in France, as in Belgium and the Netherlands, creates significant pressure on backline stock and should be treated as a peak booking window requiring eight to twelve weeks minimum advance notice.

France operates on 230V/50Hz power, the same as the UK, removing voltage conversion requirements for UK acts. ATA carnets are required for UK-owned equipment entering France and all EU countries post-Brexit. All instruments and backline items must be accurately listed on the carnet. Productions hiring locally from French suppliers avoid carnet requirements for those hired items.

French production culture tends toward formal communication in initial booking stages. Suppliers may prefer initial contact by email rather than phone for international inquiries, and response times can be longer than UK equivalents. Building lead time into French production planning is advisable, particularly outside Paris where supplier density is lower. The Intermittents du Spectacle employment framework governs much of the French freelance production workforce and affects how crew are contracted; this is relevant if hiring local French crew alongside backline.

For productions requiring backline technicians with French touring experience, Entourage Pro's crew finder covers the European freelance pool including guitar techs and backline technicians based in France. Related production services for French touring include PA hire, lighting design and hire and touring transport. Production rehearsal facilities are listed separately for productions requiring pre-tour preparation space. UK and non-EU productions moving equipment into France require an ATA Carnet for company-owned gear. The ATA Carnet guidance published by the International Chamber of Commerce covers documentation procedures and is the standard reference for touring productions operating across European markets.

Can Newloc cover multiple French cities on a single touring leg?

Yes. With branches in Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg and Toulouse, Newloc is structured to service multi-city French tours from a single supplier relationship. Contact Newloc Paris when planning national routing, as they can coordinate cross-branch inventory and logistics across the network.

Which French supplier is closest to the Belgian border for northern France dates?

Cat's Backline in La Bassee is the closest listed supplier to the Franco-Belgian border, approximately 30km from Lille. Productions routing northern France and Belgium in the same leg can use Cat's Backline for northern France dates alongside Belgian suppliers for Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. The Belgian backline picture is covered in the Belgium backline hire guide.

How far ahead should I book for French summer festival dates?

Eight to twelve weeks minimum. France's festival season runs from late June through August, with over 1,800 festivals creating sustained pressure on backline stock across the country. Unusual rider items should be flagged earlier. Standard touring dates outside festival season can generally be confirmed with four to six weeks notice in Paris, and somewhat longer in regional markets.

Do I need an ATA carnet to bring equipment from the UK into France?

Yes. ATA carnets are required for UK-owned equipment entering France and all EU member states post-Brexit. All instruments and backline items must be accurately listed. Productions hiring locally from French suppliers are not subject to carnet requirements for those hired items, which can simplify travel logistics for productions touring with minimal personal equipment.

The French backline hire listings on Showcase cover the Newloc national network and independent suppliers across Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, Toulouse, and beyond. Browse backline hire across Europe or visit Showcase Music Directory for PA hire, lighting, transport and production services for European touring.